Late actor Puneeth Rajkumar becomes 9th recipient of Karnataka Ratna
The Karnataka government conferred the state’s highest civilian award, Karnataka Ratna, to late actor Puneeth Rajkumar on the 67th Kannada Rajyotsava (state formation day) on Tuesday.
Renowned actors Rajnikanth and Junior NTR and Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy were present on the occasion. However, the event, held on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, had to be cut short because of sudden showers.
Watch: The life and legacy of Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar
Puneeth Rajkumar is the ninth recipient of the prestigious award that consist of a silver plaque and a 50-gram gold medal. His wife Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar collected it. Puneeth Rajkumar’s elder brother Shiva Rajkumar also attended the event.
Following in father’s footsteps
Puneeth Rajkumar, then Kannada cinema’s reigning star, died aged 46 following a cardiac arrest on October 29, 2021. He was the youngest child of Dada Saheb Phalke award-winner Rajkumar and started his career when he was only six months old. He even won the National Award as a child artist for Bettada Hoovu in 1986.
He re-emerged as a lead actor in 2002 and starred in 29 films until his death last year. Popularly called “Appu” and “Power” by fans, Puneeth Rajkumar had several blockbusters under his belt.
Also read: Gandhada Gudi review: Puneeth’s film is like a trek into Karnataka’s wilderness
Interestingly, Rajkumar was the first recipient of Karnataka Ratna along with author Kuvempu in 1992. So far, Rajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar are the only father-son duo to have won the award. The last person to win the Karnataka Ratna was Dr Virendra Heggade for social service, in 2009.
“An inspiration”
Ahead of the award ceremony, there were performances by well-known singers such as Vijay Prakash. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the state government would consider including a lesson on Puneeth Rajkumar’s life in textbooks. The actor’s fans have been making such a demand.
Watch: Doctor explains what happened to Puneeth Rajkumar in last few hours
Bommai said Puneeth Rajkumar was an inspiration, as the actor donated his eyes, prompting many others to take the pledge. “This speaks volumes about his service to society,” the CM said. He lauded the late actor’s humanitarian works as well.
Because of the presence of stars and a large crowd, Ambedkar Road was closed to traffic for the duration of the event.
(With agency inputs)
